The Christmas Ball
by themagasora
Summary: It's Christmas at Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione find themselves in an awkward situation. Ron and Lavender are a weird couple. People are receiving mysterious presents... And there's a Christmas Ball.
1. Chains of Silver and Gold

**Hello! This is my first fanfiction, so since your here, why not read it?**

**Harry, Ron and Hermione are in their 6th year. Some of the things will be the same from the books...but only little things. The plot, however, is mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. I only own the plot.**

Voldemort's cold laugh pierced Harry's scar. Images of Cedric, Sirius, his mother and father flashed through his mind. Prongs, Wormtail, Lupin, a green flash shining through his eyelids, the Death Eaters...Hermione...Ron...Ginny, lying on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. Cho smiling, Ginny smiling...Voldemort...Tom Riddle, laughing and pointing his wand at him...

Harry woke with a start. He felt his scar prickle. He touched it. _It was a dream, only a dream. _He told himself. He turned over in his bed to say good morning to Ron. He wasn't there. Startled that Ron hadn't waited for him, Harry sat up.

A pile of presents at the foot of his bed reminded him that it was Christmas. He looked over at Ron's bed and saw that he had already opened all his presents. Harry shrugged to himself and got up out of bed.

Just as Harry finished getting dressed he heard someone coming up the dormitory stairs. He knew it wasn't Seamus, Dean or Neville-they had all gone away for Christmas. He presumed it was Ron, and so was slightly surprised when he saw Hermione's bushy hair bobbing up the stairway.

"Do you know where Ron is?" Harry asked as soon as she entered.

"Wha-Oh. Yes, he's in the common room." She looked somewhat amused. "You haven't opened your presents yet." She nodded at the foot of his bed.

"Yeah," Harry said, and he sat down on the edge of his bed and picked up the biggest parcel. "Might as well get started."

Hermione stood in the doorway as he opened his presents, which included the usual sweater-green with a large Golden Snitch on the front-from Mrs Weasly, a large box of Weasly's Wizard Wheezes products from Fred and George and a box of his own homemade treacle from Hagrid.

Harry threw the last parcel aside (A book, _Quidditch Tactics_, from Ron) and looked up at Hermione.

"You haven't given me a present, I noticed. Annoyed at me for some reason?"

"No, I just wanted to give it to you personally." She walked over, sat next to him and passed him a small box. He opened it and glanced silver.

"You gave me jewellery?" Harry asked incredulously.

"It's not any old jewellery, Harry. It's a _Agentumyilan_ chain."

"Age tum what?"

"It has special powers. Only the owner of it can take it off, and it'll protect you from many things. And...some other things..." She blushed, but Harry didn't notice. He had picked up the silver chain. It slivered up his arm like a snake, and stayed there comfortably.

He looked up at Hermione. "Thanks, but..." He pulled at the thin chain and it instantly fell into his hand. "Are you sure it's safe? It's not going to choke me or anything?"

Hermione nodded and shook her head. "It won't." She looked at him. He looked back at her. They were silent, and only the chain moved as it snaked up Harry's arm again and under his sleeve.

For a moment, Harry looked into Hermione's brown eyes. They looked complicated. But also pleasant and kind...and pretty. He reached out his hand to touch her arm. He stopped midway. She blushed again, got up and quietly made her way back down the stairs. Harry sat on his bed for a while afterwards, thinking, until he decided to go down to the common room.

Hermione wasn't there, but Ron was. He was sitting on an armchair in front of the fire, looking dumbfounded.

"Hey Ron, what's up?"

Ron looked over at Harry, slowly taking him in. Then he stuttered slowly, "Did she expect...Dunno...I mean...Harry, look!" He held up a thick gold chain that had been in his pocket. A third year that was passing by with his friends snickered. Ron shot them a dirty look and they scampered out of the portrait hole. Harry took a closer look at Ron's present.

"Wait...did...?"

He let out a shout of laughter. Dangling from the chain were the words "My Sweetheart."

Ron quickly hid the chain again.

"It's from Lavender. Luckily she's to busy with the Christmas Ball to follow me around."

"Why don't you just break up with her?"

"It's not that easy, Harry. C'mon, let's go eat, I'm starving."

"Yeah, sure." Harry followed Ron out of the portrait hole. He shook his head, and thought about the gold chain. For a moment he had thought Ron had also gotten a chain from Hermione. He was happy he hadn't, but he wasn't sure why.

**Well, Chapter one is over. Now, review! I will update the story as soon as I can.**

**Oh, and a question: Which couples do you think I should include in this story?**


	2. The Secret Admirer

**The next Chapter in my story.**

**Thank you, Impromptu1135, for your review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything related to the HP books. They all belong to the imaginative J.K Rowling**

The castle was adorned with the usual Christmas decorations-twelve grand Christmas trees in the Great Hall, countless elegant fairy lights-which happened to be real fairies-and holly and mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Down a particular corridor, on the seventh floor, a young red-haired figure walked quietly, much farther from her classmates who where assembled in the Great Hall for breakfast.

Ginny was by herself. She had just finished opening her presents. Held in her hand was a glass-like sphere which contained a lavender rose that floated around inside, clearly enchanted by magic. It had been a Christmas present-from who, she didn't know. In her other hand she held a note that had come with it.

_Ginny,_

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement_

_Today_

_I know you know where that is._

_Think 'I need a place to meet someone'_

_Your secret admirer_

Ginny stopped, and leaned against the wall. The breathed in and out, in and out. _Okay, okay. Calm down._ She looked around her. _I sure hope this person isn't a stalker. Who is it, anyway? Is it Harry? I finally gave up on him...Is he starting to like me? _She stared down at the crumpled parchment. _I don't think it is Harry. He's not the kind of guy who'll send a rose. It might be Fred and George. This could be their idea of a joke when they are actually out of school._ She shook her head. _No, I don't think it'd be them. I'd recognise their handwriting._ She strained her brain. _Think, think. Damn it. I have too many guys after me that are in my year. I couldn't pick who it is out of all of them. I sure hope it's not that Michael Corner. Ew..._

Ginny heard someone coming around the corner. She quickly stuffed the note in her pocket, and hid the sphere containing the rose behind a tapestry. Draco Malfoy came striding around the corner. His white-blond hair swished around his face, until he stopped, and looked at Ginny with his light grey eyes.

"Oh, it's you," He sounded slightly startled, but then quickly regained his smugness. "Little Weasel."

Ginny took out her wand. "What is it, Malfoy? What are you doing?" Her thoughts started circling through her mind. _This corridor is on the way to the Room of Requirement. Could he? No, Ginny, no, that's just wrong. Could he be my secret admirer? He's your enemy. _But that wasn't true. He's Hermione's enemy. Ron's and Harry's. Not hers. And sometimes...Sometimes he looked nice, sometimes he looked..._No Ginny! That isn't right! _She told herself. _You can't like a Slytherin!_

Draco looked at her, and took out his wand too. "None of your business what I'm doing, Little Weasel. You know what, the other day I saw your brother Weasly walking with Potter. You know, I think Potter loves Weasly more than-"

"Shut up, Malfoy, I don't need any of your rubbish right now!" She pointed her wand at him. "_Viri-_"

"_Loco-_"

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU GIT!"

Ron and Harry came running around the corner, and they both sent spells at Draco. He dodged them, and ran down the opposite corridor. Malfoy didn't have Crabbe and Goyle with him-he wasn't really that 'safe' without them. Ron continued to shout at him and sent more spells after him even after he had gone around the corner. Harry rushed over to Ginny.

_Nope, I don't think he's my secret admirer. _Ginny thought to herself. _Unless he's really good at acting._

"Ginny, are you okay?" Harry looked at her with concern.

"I'm fine, Harry. I'm not a child." She pushed him away.

Ron ran to her side too. "Are you sure? He didn't hurt you? That git, cursing you-"

"I'm fine! Let me fight my own fights, Ron!" Ginny shouted at him. Ron and Harry just stood there as she stalked off, not wanting to remain around them.

_God. _She thought. _I hate this. Why do they treat me like a child? I'm 15! I can look after myself! I was almost going to curse him, but no, Harry and Ron have to save the day!! _Her thoughts wandered back to the note crumpled in her pocket and the lavender rose, which was still hidden behind the tapestry. She sighed. _I need to find Hermione. Maybe she can help me._

**That's the end of Chapter 2.**

**Oooh, Ginny's got a secret admirer! I wonder who it is! **

**Please review!**


	3. A Trip to the Hospital Wing

**Yes, here it is...the third chapter. I'm not saying anymore! Just read it, and enjoy.**

Darkness surrounded her. Her arms, legs, fingers, toes...all her limbs were numb. Her mind was foggy. Who was she? What happened? She tried to move, but the darkness seemed to be pressing in on her. She felt someone shake her, just lightly. She thought she heard a voice...she couldn't tell what it was trying to say. But it seemed to help her think...and remember... She had been opening presents. In the morning. Yes…then…Harry. She gave her present - a Christmas present - to Harry. Then who was she? Harry's friend?

_"Hermione..."_

She heard the voice, again, though it sounded so far away. _Hermione..._ Hermione. That sounded familiar. Who was Hermione? Oh...right..._She _was Hermione.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open. Her eyesight was fuzzy; she couldn't see where she was. Every part of her felt heavy and numb. She felt like she was going to throw up. She felt someone shake her lightly again. Her eyesight began to clear, and she figured out where she was.

She was in the Hospital Wing.

Hermione turned with difficulty and saw Ginny, her hand reaching out to touch Hermione's shoulder, which she had been shaking to try and wake Hermione up. Ginny looked scared, but relieved; Hermione was alive.

"Your awake." Ginny said quietly, as though she wasn't very sure about what she had just stated. But then she turned, and said "She's awake," apparantly to whoever was on the other side of the room.

Madam Pomfrey came into Hermione's view as she walked towards her. She was holding a goblet in one hand and her wand in the other. When she got to Hermione's bed she stowed her wand away and held the goblet out to Hermione.

"Can you lift your hand?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Hermione managed to lift her hand up and grip the goblet. Madam Pomfrey looked at Ginny. "Make sure she drinks all of that." She said, rather sternly. "It'll help." Madam Pomfrey watched Hermione for a few minutes. Once Hermione had started to drink, Madam Pomfrey looked approving and walked over to her office.

"Ginny?" Hermione looked at her friend after a few of minutes of sipping the contents of her goblet, which she believed to be Essence of Rue. "What happened? Is it still Christmas?"

Ginny, who had been watching Hermione closely, seemed to take awhile to process her words. "Yeah, it's still Christmas. And…I don't know exactly what happened. You got poisoned."

_Poisoned?_ Hermione thought. _Poisoned by what? By who? _She didn't ask Ginny these questions. She just waited, and Ginny continued.

"I don't know how…Madam Pomfrey doesn't know how…I was hoping you could tell me." Ginny looked at Hermione expectantly.

These words weren't that reassuring. "I don't know, Ginny."

"Do you remember what happened this morning?"

"No...well, maybe..." Hermione tried to remember. It was quite hard... She knew it would've happened after she gave Harry his present. She went back to her domitory...

She found a late present on her bed, which probably had just been delivered by some of the House Elves. She shook her head, and wondered who sent a present this late. She opened it and revealed a elegant purple box of chocolates. On it was a small note, which read:

_Merry Christms _

_From Harry_

Wow, She thought. Harry must've felt guilty about not getting me a present. I wonder where he got these from on such late notice? She wondered for a moment if he had got them from Fred and George's Joke shop, but then realised that he wouldn't play a joke on her like that. She undid the dark blue ribbon that was holding the lid closed. Inside were small, delicate-looking chocolates. She chose one, popped it into her mouth, and then everything was pain and dark, and suddenly she was here.

She told Ginny of this, and Ginny looked sombre. "Madam Pomfrey said that whoever poisoned you hadn't planned on killing you. The poison only stopped you from moving and put you in lots of pain." She looked even sadder for a moment. "You have to stay here overnight, or longer, which means you'll miss the Christmas Ball."

The Christmas Ball. Somehow, Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil managed to convince Professor Dumbledore to let them organise, and be in charge of, a Christmas Ball. At 8:30 tonight, everyone would gather in the Great Hall and they would dance and have fun. No one had yet seen what Lavender and her friends had organised. No matter what, they knew it was going to be spectacular.

Hermione had completely forgotten about the Ball. "What time is it?" She asked Ginny.

Ginny shrugged. "Lunch time, or around then."

The doors of the Hospital Wing opened, and in came Seamus Finnigan, supported by Dean Thomas. Dean looked around, saw Ginny, and looked unhappy. They had gone out earlier this year, but Ginny had dumped him because he annoyed her too much. Today, he looked even more unhappy to see her.

Seamus didn't look to be in very good shape. He had blood on his face, and it was dripping onto the floor. One of his legs looked out of place, and Hermione grimaced as she looked. He couldn't walk without Dean supporting him.

"What do we have here?" Madam Pomfrey led Seamus to a bed to the left of Hermione's. She cleaned the blood of the floor as she went. Seamus sat down and Madam Pomfrey started to heal his face right away. Ginny, who had turned around to look, got up and walked to Seamus's bed. She looked at him with sympathy.

"What happened?" She asked Dean. He didn't answer her. Once his face was better, Seamus answered.

"Slytherins." Seamus said angrily. "They offended me mum, so I hit one of them."

Dean took over. "And the filthy Slytherins got some more of their friends and ganged up on him. I..." Hermione saw him narrow his eyes at Ginny, as though it were her fault. "Wasn't there." Seamus must've told him what happened, Hermione realised, but she wondered why he hadn't been there. Usually Seamus and Dean were inseperable.

Madam Pomfrey made Seamus lie down and gave him a potion that would help to heal his leg. She then looked at Ginny, then over at Hermione. "You had better get some sleep. No more visitors."

Before Ginny walked away, Hermione said to her quietly, "Ginny. Don't tell Harry."

"Why?"

"I don't want to spoil the Ball for him."

Madam Pomfrey shooed Ginny away. Hermione watched Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas for awhile. They looked like they were arguing. She couldn't here what they were saying. She closed her eyes, and slowly but surely, Hermione fell asleep.

--

It was later in the afternoon when Hermione woke up again. She didn't feel as numb and sore as before. She was still really tired, but she opened her eyes and observed was happening around her. She was still in the Hospital Wing. Seamus was still there too, but instead if Dean at the side of his bed, there was Ginny, smiling and laughing with him. Hermione smiled, and went back to sleep.

**Finally, I finished the third chapter. Thank my friend, Nat, for nagging me about it. I'm sorry it's so late. To make up for it, the fourth chapter will be here really soon!**

**Read and Review!**


	4. Dance Partners

The Great Hall buzzed with noise at lunchtime. Ron sat at the Gryffindor table. He was surprised at how many people were in the Great Hall. He looked around, and saw the person who he was looking for.

Harry, who sat next to him, poked him with a fork. Ron blinked, and turned his head to look at Harry. "What?" He asked.

"You've been staring over there for ages. Why aren't you eating?" Harry looked worried. Okay, so Ron usually was eating whenever he had the chance. But this time he just had something better to do.

"No reason. I'm just…not hungry." He was, of course, not going to tell Harry whom he had been staring at.

Harry shrugged. "Okay…"

About ten minutes later, after Harry had had his fill, they both got up from the table to head back to the Gryffindor common room. Ron saw the person he was staring at get up too. He continued to watch them, standing in the middle of a crowd of people who took no notice of him, and just continued walking around him. He stood as tall as possible, looking over the heads of most people. But still, he lost sight of the light blond hair as soon as he started walking again.

"Oh, hey, Ron, do you have a partner for the Ball?"

Ron looked at Harry. "The Ball…Oh…no." He looked worriedly at Harry. "You?"

Harry shook his head. "I only just remembered. Your not going with Lavender?"

Ron evil eyed Harry. "Of course not. Well…"

"So you've broken up with her?"

"Um…Not really…no."

"If you don't want to go out with her anymore, break up with her!"

Ron just grimaced. He knew who he was going to ask. If he had the guts to.

They eventually got back to the common room, and went up to their dormitory. Ron sat on his bed. Harry sat on his own bed, too.

"Well…" said Harry after awhile. "I guess I might as well go ask someone to the Ball, now…"

"Sure." Ron replied. "I'll see you later, I'm not coming."

Harry nodded slowly, then got up and exited the dormitory.

Ron lay back on his bed, thinking. Of course she'd never say yes. Or she might. She's a bit…weird like that.

Well, Luna was weird in general.

**Yay, Ron and Luna. Okay, so if you don't like this pairing, I DON'T CARE. They could be cute together if you give them a chance! If you haven't noticed already, the pairs are all different to the books. I wanted to do that.**

**Thanks again Nat.**

**And of course, R&R – not Rest and Relaxation, you can do that after you Read and Review!**


	5. Don't Sound Surprised

The school seemed almost deserted; everyone must've been in their domitories getting ready for the Ball. When you did see someone walking around, it was almost always a boy. The doors to the Great Hall had been sealed closed with magic, so no one could see what was going on in there. Ever since lunch had finished, Lavender, Parvati, Padma and their helpers had been setting up the Hall for the Christmas Ball.

Harry walked down a staircase. He couldn't find Hermione anywhere. He was thinking of giving up, when he saw Ginny walking along the third floor corridor.

"Ginny!"

Ginny looked over and saw him. She looked startled, and...afraid?

He rushed over to her. "Hey, Ginny, have you seen Hermione?"

"Erm..." Ginny said. "No. Why?"

"Oh...I was just...looking for her." Harry turned around, disappointed. He turned around slowly again. "Oh yeah, and sorry about before."

"That's okay." Ginny smiled slightly at him.

"Do you have a partner for the Ball yet?" Harry asked.

"Yes, actually." Ginny smiled. She looked very happy.

"Really? Who?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Harry."

"Right, sorry. So who is it?"

"Seamus."

"_What?_ Didn't you just go out with Dean-"

"That was ages ago, Harry. And don't bug me about this! Please, don't!"

Harry nodded. Okay, so he didn't really have much of a problem with Ginny going out with Seamus. But he knew that Ron would have something to say about this when he found out.


	6. Just a Wrackspurt

Luna walked along the corridor, humming to herself. She swayed from side to side, drifting along, her blonde hair trailing behind her. _I wonder where everyone is, _she thought to herself, spinning around.

She wandered around the castle, only seeing a few people here and there. She enjoyed Christmas. It was a good time to find faeries to talk to. But the faeries, too, seemed to be somewhere else at the moment.

"I wonder where everyone is," she said to herself as she passed the Great Hall. She stopped, and looked back, peeking in the doors.

"Hey! Go away!"

Luna stepped back, surprised. Lavender Brown, a girl in the year above Luna's, glared at her from between a gap in the Great Hall's doors.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Lavender said in an annoyed voice.

"Ready?"

"Yes. For the Ball." Lavender looked at her like she was crazy. A lot of people thought she was crazy.

"Oh. That would be where everyone is. Getting ready. I thought they got attacke-"

"I don't care what you think," Lavender said, with a wave of her hand. "Just leave. We're still decorating the Great Hall."

Luna watched Lavender turn around and go back into the Great Hall. She peeked through the gap and saw bright colours and streamers and – faeries!

_Faeries do love dancing__,_ Luna thought, and walked away, wandering back through the castle.

While daydreaming along a random corridor, she bumped into someone, a someone with bright, red hair.

"Oh! Hello Ron," Luna said. "A Wrackspurt must be flying around. I didn't notice where I was going."

Ron looked at her strangely, his face going rather red.

"Are you okay, Ron? Your face is beginning to match your hair. How do you do that?"  
Ron looked slightly annoyed, and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.  
"If you're going to the Great Hall, you won't be able to get in. Lavender said you can't."  
Luna watched Ron, her head tilted slightly to the side. After a moment, he managed to say, "I was actually trying to find you."

"Oh, really?" She looked happy. No one usually tries to find her.  
"Yes. I - Wouldueliktoogothballwitmi?" After a pause, he said, "Oh. I said that too fast, didn't I? Well-"

"Of course."  
"Would – wait, what?"

"I'd be happy to go to the Ball with you. It'd be fun!" A look of pure happiness crossed her face. "I've never been to a Ball with anyone before."

"You... understood what I said?"

"Yes. Didn't you? You asked-"

"Its okay, Luna. I knew what I said." Ron smiled. It was a small, unsure smile, but a smile all the same. Luna smiled back, a large happy smile.

"I'll meet you at the Great Hall doors?" He asked.  
"If you want," She replied, and then, after a moment, said, "Now I have to go." She began to walk off.  
"Right, we have to get ready."  
She looked back at him. "Oh, yes, that too." She continued walking, and waved back at him, before turning the corner.

He called out something else to her, but she was already too far away to hear what he said.


End file.
